


A Gayer mountain than Brokeback.

by RussianSunflower3



Series: Winter and December and Christmas, Oh My! [27]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 5 days in 1!, Almost as much as he loves his boyfriend, Blizzards & Snowstorms, Evergreen - Freeform, Fluffy Ending, Forehead Kisses, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!, Hypothermia, Iwaizumi loves dogs!!, Kindaichi has a terrible sense of direction, Lost and alone and afraid, M/M, Matsukawa has a winter house, Memories, Mountain Rescue, New Year's Eve, Oikawa loves his friends!!!, Shiver, Snow Globe, Team as Family, Winter in the Mountains, scavenger hunt, winter prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-24 11:58:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13213272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RussianSunflower3/pseuds/RussianSunflower3
Summary: It's New Year's Eve, and Aobajousai are gathered at Matsukawa's mountain retreat to bring in the new year together!Then Oikawa decides to send some of them off on a scavenger hunt.Things go very wrong,veryquickly, with Kindaichi missing in the middle of a blizzard and the rest of the team beginning to freak out. None more so than Iwaizumi.But can he rescue his boyfriend in time?





	A Gayer mountain than Brokeback.

“- And that’s why we’re doing New Years scavenger orienteering!” A silence follows Oikawa’s words, and Iwaizumi pinches the bridge of his nose as if pained. 

“Oikawa… That’s the stupidest idea you’ve ever had! It’s fucking cold out there! It _snowed_ yesterday!” 

“But it’s not snowing today, and this was the planned activity anyways!” Oikawa is already passing out the individual maps, each on unique to the person receiving them since they go in different directions. Hanamaki looks at his and kinda humms in interest.

“I dunno, Iwaizumi. Oikawa might be onto something. Looks fun. Besides, it’s not compulsory.” 

“That’s true… Alright, those of you who want to do it, raise your hands.” He nods at Oikawa with permission to distribute the orienteering maps, taking note of those with their hands up.

Hanamaki, Watari, Kindaichi, and Kyoutani. As the latter sends him a challenging glare, Iwaizumi tuts and raises his own hand. He’s not going to turn down a challenge. Oikawa snickers as he passes Iwaizumi his own map with an _extreme_ level of sass.

“I’ll give you ten minutes to wrap up warm and then it’s go time!” As soon as the words leave Oikawa’s mouth, the five competitors bolt up the stairs to get into suitable winter clothes. It’s not much time at all, which is why ten minutes later, Hanamaki, Kindaichi, and Kyoutani abandon their dressing efforts and race back out the room with maps and scavenger lists in hand.

Watari looks curiously up at Iwaizumi.

“You’re not going too?”

“What? Why would I?”

“I just thought since it was a competition…” Iwaizumi smirks as he tugs on an extra pair of socks and wraps a scarf around his neck.

“Oh, I’ll still win. I just don’t want to get frostbite or hypothermia along with the prize.” Watari laughs, pulling on a thick, woollen hat to keep his bald head and ears warm, doing up the little velcro strap to cover his chin. 

“I think I’m good. See you when we’re finished, Iwaizumi-senpai!” Iwaizumi huffs in amusement and waves him off, sighing as he looks out the window. It’s snowing again. Strange, there wasn't any forecasted… Yesterday was supposed to have been the last of it, the whole reason the team had agreed to come to Matsukawa’s mountain home for New Year’s celebration in the first place. 

“Iwa-chan! If you don’t hurry up, you’re going to lose!” Scowling, he adds another scarf to his outfit and stomps down the stairs.

“I’m _coming_ , Shittykawa, for fucks sake. Do you want us all to freeze to death?” He pulls on his boots in the _genkan_ , making sure his trousers are tucked in so the snow doesn’t get into them. Oikawa leans against the wall in the hallway, looking out the door Yahaba had held open for Watari.

“... Snow’s coming down pretty hard.”

“Mhm. Didn’t think it was supposed to.”

“Having second thoughts about sending us off on this… Scavenger orienteering thing?”

“A few, yes.” Iwaizumi sighs. He knows everything about Oikawa, from the way he fidgets to the left when he’s nervous, to the unsure, quiet tone of his voice when he knows something needs to be done. It’s a side effect of having been best friends since forever.

“Give me a copy of their maps. I’ll go after them.” Oikawa’s eyes light up and his shoulders lose their tension, whilst he stands a little taller before grabbing the map copies from his folder.

“Thank you, Iwa-chan! Makki left first, so he’s probably a fair distance away. KyouKen and Kindaichi headed in the same direction, so I’m not sure if they stuck together until their maps diverted. And Watacchin only just left.” Iwaizumi nods, grabbing the spare map for Hanamaki.

“I’ll grab them in order of who’s been out the longest. Get some hot chocolates, blankets, and other shit ready.”

“How wonderful, ‘other shit’, such an eloquent vocabulary. You should read a thesaurus, Iwa-chan.”

“I’m about to shove a thesaurus up your backside, and then you’ll be the one with the sore ass.”

“...” Oikawa stares blankly, too shocked by the clapback to notice Yahaba trying to hold back a whole fit of laughter as Iwaizumi grins victoriously. Words failing him for a moment, Oikawa exhales and pinches the bridge of his nose, expression pained.

“Just get going.” Whistling, Iwaizumi heads off with a skip in his step, but it’s quickly weighed down. The snow from yesterday was thick enough to remain and compress into ice, and today’s snow lies over the top, rapidly building. The wind and snowfall are intensifying by the second, and Iwaizumi knows he has to move quickly. This far up the mountain, they’re at risk of blizzards and avalanches.

“Watari!” Either by luck or with some sense, the Libero is heading back towards the house, meeting Iwaizumi at the edge of the treeline. He waves, trudging carefully through the snow to reach Iwaizumi.

“I changed my mind. It’s too cold and dangerous to do this. Besides, I don’t wanna miss spending the New Year with everyone!” With a beaming smile, Watari wishes Iwaizumi luck, then heads inside to spend the last day of December - of the _year_ \- with all his friends.

Well, most of them. Three have yet to be found.

As much as Iwaizumi would like to go after Kindaichi first, since the love of his life had a habit for getting himself into troublesome situations, he knows it’s most important to fetch those who’ve been in the cold longest first.

He shuffles his way through the evergreen forest, feeling the cold nip at his skin even underneath all the layers, a shiver setting in. Winding through the pine trees, constantly referencing the map.

“Hanamaki!!! Oi, Hanamaki, where are you?! Hey, shit nugget!”

“Who are you calling shit nugget?” He snaps his head round to see Hanamaki shuffling down from a large tree, abandoned bird’s nest in hand. Hanamaki waves the scavengers list in Iwaizumi’s face.

“Look at the shit on here. How does Oikawa expect me to find _bluebells_ in the middle of winter?”

“I assume he’s been leading us on this whole time.”

“Mother _fucker!_!!” Rolling his eyes, Iwaizumi pats Hanamaki on the back.

“Get back to Mattsun’s. I can see you shivering.”

“... What about the-”

“No. Scavenger hunt is called off. No more orienteering. Get your ass back to the cabin.” He smacks Hanamaki’s behind to set him off, the duo slowly making their way back as the winds bluster and the snow comes down almost like hail, but… Silent.

“Would have thought you’d gone after Kindaichi first, if you were that worried.”

“I was going to, but… Oikawa said you’d left first. It was an issue of leaving your dumb ass to freeze or bringing everyone back in turn.”

“... You really don’t have any faith in us, do you?” Iwaizumi can feel Hanamaki’s deadpan gaze boring into him and chuckles.

“Not really. You’re stupidly competitive and wouldn’t come back unless told it was cancelled, and Kyoutani has such a one-track mind that he wouldn’t even notice it snowing. Of the three of you, Yuutarou is the only one sensible enough to give up and come back when it started snowing.” 

“First name basis already~?” Despite the cold, Iwaizumi feels his cheeks heat up, shrinking into his scarf and muffling his words as he responds to Hanamaki’s amusement.

“It’s been four months already… That’s not rushing it, is it…?”

“Nah, I think you’re clear. But dating your kouhai! How scandalous!” Iwaizumi scowls and punches Hanamaki in the shoulder playfully.

“He’s the one who asked me!”

“Yeah, after Kunimi translated it from a bunch of stuttering and squeaks!”

“Don’t make fun of him. I’ll hit you.”

“I hate to tell you this, but you just did.” Iwaizumi hits him again.

~.~.~.~.

Fetching Kyoutani had been easy, but once Iwaizumi had returned him to the cabin, Oikawa insisted that he warm up before going back out. He spent a good ten minutes pacing back and forth in front of the fire, worried out of his mind.

Kindaichi should have been back by now. He was sensible enough to come back… Unless something had happened. What if something _had_ happened? What if he was lost? Or hurt? Or worse?!

“Iwaizumi, you need to sit down. You’re going to have a heart attack at this rate.” He shoots a glare at Matsukawa - calmly sipping tea on the sofa - resuming his pacing slightly slower than before.

“Of course I’m worried! There’s a blizzard, a yellow avalanche warning, and the person I love has been stranded out there for over half an hour!” An arm wraps around Iwaizumi’s waist and flings him off balance, right into Matsukawa’s lap, where the middle blocker was waiting.

“Now, now, Iwa-chan, I understand your impatience, but let’s be sensible. Kin-Chan has enough sense to find somewhere sheltered-”

“No, he really doesn’t.”

“- and I’m sure he can start a fire easily enough-”

“He can’t even tie his laces.”

“- and you’re not helping, Kunimi-chan!” Kunimi gives Oikawa a lazy wave of the hand from where he’s sitting by the window, peering out almost desperately. His breath fogs up the glass as he sighs and he quickly wipes it away with his sleeve. He’s all wrapped up, ready to go out into the cold when Iwaizumi does.

“I’ve known him since we were 3. If he’s _lucky_ enough to find shelter, that’s where he’ll be, but… Knowing Kindaichi, he’s gotten lost.” His eyebrows furrow, worry tugging his lips into a frown, and Kunimi looks nothing short of distraught. It tugs at the heartstrings and Oikawa fretfully runs a hand through his hair.

“Okay. Okay! No need to panic! One of us will go out searching, but _not_ until the professionals get here!”

“Professionals?” Oikawa smirks in Iwaizumi’s direction.

“I called Mountain Rescue as soon as it hit the ten minute mark~.”

“... Sometimes you’re a pain in the ass, but right now, I could hug you.” Oikawa opens his arms with a cheeky grin, when Hanamaki smacks his head from behind as he walks into the room with a platter of sausage rolls, pigs in blankets, and other snacky bits for the New Years celebration.

“Stop bothering them and get in the kitchen. Yahaba’s having a breakdown, Kyoutani’s eating all the fried stuff before I can bring it out, and Watari’s trying to add cheese to _everything_.”

“That’s not too bad.”

“ _ **Everything**_. The beef lattices. The duck spring rolls. The _profiteroles!_ Even the hazelnut churros!” Oikawa slaps his hands to his cheeks and drags them down with a sigh beyond his years.

“Alright, I’ll go stop him… Watacchin! Some of us are lactose intolerant, y’know!” His voice fades as he enters the kitchen, and it’s only moments later that Watari and Kyoutani are kicked out into the living room, leaving the cooking to Oikawa and Yahaba, once the latter is over his mini-breakdown of _“what the fuck is a fan oven? Why can’t we microwave these? Why is everything exploding?!”_

Watari, with no regards for personal space, flops himself onto the sofa besides Matsukawa, leaning back so his head is in Iwaizumi’s lap. He has a whole bag of shredded cheese in hand, eating it casually. Iwaizumi raises an eyebrow.

“Want some crackers with that?”

“And ruin the sanctity of cheese? No thank you, senpai.”

“But… It’s cheese…”

“Exactly~.” Watari winks as he clicks his finger and give Iwaizumi the classic fingerguns. Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, turning to look out the window. Kunimi still sits in front of it, nervously picking at the dry skin on his lips and not caring that they’re bleeding in patches. As if sensing he needs comfort, Kyoutani sits cross-legged behind him, back to back with just enough contact to be reassuring.

“How’s the snow looking, Kunimi…?”

“It’s really starting to pile up… And it’s thick enough I can’t see too far.” If anyone didn’t know Kunimi, they might not have heard the slight warble in the back of his throat, but Seijou were close, and Seijou knew. Hanamaki was the first to move, crouching down in front of him and clasping Kunimi’s hands, talking quietly and softly, trying to calm him down but letting him know it was okay to cry.

Kyoutani leant against him a little more, going from a reassuring presence to a comforting weight, and Watari abandons Iwaizumi’s lap and his packet of cheese to grapple Kunimi from the side, hugging him tightly. 

As Kunimi chokes out a restrained sob - thinking of his best friend somewhere out there _freezing to death_ \- Matsukawa nudges Iwaizumi off his lap to go and join in on comforting their first year.

Iwaizumi doesn’t. For a heartbeat, he stands there stunned, and then he realises what must be done. Mountain Rescue be damned, he’s not sitting around for any longer when his boyfriend is (probably) lost somewhere in a blizzard and (probably) freaking out.

Without anyone realising, Iwaizumi gets to the front door, pulls on his boots, coat, gloves, and hat, and takes Matsukawa’s jacket off the peg. If Kindaichi _hasn’t_ been lucky enough to stumble across shelter, he’s going to need something relatively warmer and drier to wrap around himself. For good measure, Iwaizumi burrows Hanamaki’s waterproof as well.

“I’m off…” He whispers it under his breath, being polite but hoping nobody hears. Then, after slowly and silently closing the door behind him, he bolts. He needs to get as far away from Matsukawa’s mountain retreat as possible before they realise he’s missing and try to drag him back.

He knows Oikawa is going to be _furious_.  
Oikawa is undoubtedly going to wring his neck for doing something so utterly stupid.   
But… Kindaichi… 

“Yuutarou!” He cups his hands around his mouth, shouting into the wilderness, voice stolen by the bitter winds along with one of his scarves. It’s dangerous to be out here. Way too dangerous. But he’s not going to give up until he finds the person he’s looking for.

Trekking through the thick snow is difficult, and Iwaizumi find himself losing feeling in his legs as shivers overtake him, and he’s weighted down by clumps of snow clinging to his protective clothing. He’s pretty sure he’s crying, but the cold freezes the tears before they even hit the ground.

“Y-Yuutarou!” His voice cracks as he shouts uselessly into the evergreen forest, the temperature dropping as night starts to fall. He’s not sure how long he’s been out here, but he knows he’s risking hypothermia and frostbite. Maybe he should turn back… Wait for the Mountain Rescue team… They’d have dogs who could track Kindaichi’s scent, right?

Just as he bows his head, about to give up, he spots a tiny bit of dark blue in the snow. He grabs it desperately, gloved hands shovelling away the snow to pick up the precious item.

A snow globe. It’s a Christmas present he got for Kindaichi in _middle school_. For over a whole year, Kindaichi has taken it with him everywhere he goes - whether in a pocket or his bag - and it’s extremely precious to the both of them.

Of all things, Kindaichi would never leave behind his snow globe. Something is wrong. Desperately wrong. 

Frantically, Iwaizumi stumbles and trips his way through the snow and blizzard, following what appears to be a trench where someone has only recently carved their way through. He can’t see any other items of clothing, so it’s not paradoxical undressing, but if Kindaichi dropped his snow globe without realising, lost and confused, it could be moderate hypothermia.

And then, as he reaches the top of a hill, he spots colour amongst the white, brown and green backdrop. Kindaichi’s red coat, one very chilly first year having fallen down the slope.

“Yuutarou!” As Iwaizumi slides carefully down the slope, Kindaichi looks around sluggishly, as if he can’t figure out what direction the call of his name came from. Eventually, he spots Iwaizumi and his face lights up into a bright, pure grin, attempting to run over to greet him. 

He stumbles exactly three steps before his face meets the freshly fallen snow, his legs far too numb for proper coordination. His movements are slow and laboured as he tries to push himself to his feet, but it’s only with Iwaizumi’s help that he’s standing again.

“Ha-Hajim-me..” Iwaizumi hugs him tightly, feeling Kindaichi’s arms wrap around his shivering body slowly, sluggishly. Worryingly, Kindaichi isn’t shivering, even though his lips and ears have a blue tinge. Iwaizumi is willing to bet his fingers and toes - despite being covered - are probably in the same condition. He pulls back, gently cupping Kindaichi’s cheeks.

“Let’s find some shelter and get you warm, hmm?” Kindaichi’s brow furrows and he looks around.

“N- No… I- We… We have to get back to the house for- for New Year’s…” 

“It’s okay, it’s okay, they’re looking for us. Come on, you need to get warmed up.”

“But- But we don’t know where we are…” That’s true. In his desperation to find Kindaichi, Iwaizumi had abandoned all sense of direction. He can only hope the trench he found and renewed doesn’t get snowed over.

“Rescue teams have dogs. They’ll find us.” Kindaichi seems to ponder it for a moment, brain working a little slow thanks to the cold, before he nods with a wobbly smile. Iwaizumi returns the fond expression, removing Kindaichi’s freezing, sodden coat before wrapping Hanamaki’s jacket and Matsukawa’s winter coat around him in an attempt to have slightly less cold and wet.

“I’m c-cold, Hajime…”

“I know, sweetheart, I know.” He pauses to press a swift kiss to frosty lips, then carefully takes one of Kindaichi’s gloved hands in his own. He knows not to cause friction, because if early frostbite has set in, it’ll rub away the cold, dying skin cells. Kindaichi needs to be warmed up slowly, steadily, without friction.

He drags Kindaichi along, looking for any signs of shelter. And then, in the midst of the storm, two evergreen trees, slanted against each other where they had fallen in opposite directions. A small patch of ground beneath them is bare, perfect for starting a fire.

“Over here. We should be okay for a while.”

“Okay…” He’s starting to sound lethargic, which worries Iwaizumi immensely. Hypothermia isn’t something people wake up from easily, should they fall asleep. 

“I’m going to try starting a fire… Can you clear an area?”

“Mhm~.” Crouching on the ground, Kindaichi starts to brush asides fallen pine needles and branches. He creates a nice little circle, just in time for Iwaizumi to place down a couple of logs, the leaf pile on top smouldering with embers that quickly catch alight. Flames burst forth, bringing heat and a sense of relief with them. 

“Perfect. Now... C’mere and let me hug you.” Kindaichi manages a small laugh as he shuffles over, into Iwaizumi’s waiting arms. Despite being taller, he has a habit of wriggling down so that his head rests on Iwaizumi’s shoulder, just about able to hear his heartbeat.

No different from any other time, he does the same, but the warmth from his boyfriend draws him in closer and he ends up snuggling happily into Iwaizumi’s collarbone, arms wrapped tightly around Iwaizumi’s waist and their legs tangled together. Iwaizumi laughs warmly under his breath, the puff of air brushing over Kindaichi’s face.

“Better?”

“Much. You’re so warrrrrm~.” Iwaizumi chuckles again, one hand pressed inside Kindaichi’s many layers of jackets, fingers splayed against bare skin as if to transfer his warmth directly, feeling the rise and fall of Kindaichi’s chest. His other hand strokes through wet, freezing hair, trying to brush some of the moisture out before it turns into icicles. Kindaichi happily presses into the soft touch.

“And you’re _adorable_. I love you, Yuutarou.”

“I love you too, Hajime~.”

“Love you more.”

“Love you _most_.” Iwaizumi puffs his cheeks out in mock irritation at ‘losing’, the hand on Kindaichi’s chest moving to cup his cheek, pressing a long, soft and loving kiss to his lips, broken only by the first year’s tiny laugh of amusement, and then a shiver as the cold air claims the spot Iwaizumi removed his hand from.

“Oop, sorry.” He slides his hand back in, circling his thumb comfortingly as Kindaichi warms up. He’s not so much in danger anymore, heart rate returning to normal, colour back on his cheeks, and warmth starting to seep through his limbs. Iwaizumi releases a shuddering breath when he thinks how close a call it was.

“I thought I’d lost you…”

“Hm?”

“I thought- I was… I was so _scared_ , Yuutarou… I thought you were going to die. There was- There was the blizzard, and avalanche warnings, and you were _alone_ -”

“Hajime.” He cuts himself off abruptly, looking down to meet Kindaichi’s earnest gaze.

“... Sorry. I just… I was scared.”

“I understand that. And… I’m sorry for not coming straight back. I just wanted to impress you…”

“You don’t need to put yourself in danger to impress me! I goddamn love you, Yuutarou! I fall in love with you a little more everyday, even when you trip over air, or- or that time you spilt water all over yourself because we were laughing too hard, or when you walk straight into open locker doors..~. You don’t _need_ to impress me. I love you for who you are.” 

“E-Eh?!” Kindaichi blushes bright red, giving off an embarrassed whine as he buries his face in Iwaizumi’s shoulder, his boyfriend laughing brightly as Kindaichi lightly slaps his back.

“Stooooop, don’t remind me of those stupid memories! I’m clumsy, okay?!”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way~.” Warm lips brush over Kindaichi’s forehead and he tilts his still blushing face up, leaning in just a little as if asking for permission. Iwaizumi smiles as he connects their lips, stealing little butterfly pecks and darting teasingly out of reach before Kindaichi can react.

He puffs his cheeks out and furrows his brow, missing yet another kiss, and decides that enough is enough. His arms are removed from Iwaizumi’s back and he untangles their legs to straddle Iwaizumi instead, grabbing his cheeks with cold hands and pulling Iwaizumi into a passionate, sloppy kiss that’s more fun than it is gentle. He pulls back with a self-satisfied grin, leaving Iwaizumi as the flustered one for once.

“That’s what you get for teasing~.”

“I-... Uh… Yeah.” Kindaichi laughs, and watching how _happy_ he is, hearing his beautiful laughter, Iwaizumi melts into a sappy smile, reaching up and pulling Kindaichi down into a gentle hug, pressing their chests together so their hearts beat against each other.

A long period of silence goes by, the two boys cuddling by the fire, perfectly at peace with each other and sharing warmth. Every now and then, Iwaizumi sits up to add another log to the fire, snickering as Kindaichi clings on like a koala and whines at the movement. 

After overcoming his shyness, he’d become an affection leech, clinging on at any moment and craving physical contact everytime they were within reach of each other. Iwaizumi _loved_ it, even when his friends would tease him for being sappy and overindulgent. 

“I’m getting cold again…” Iwaizumi gently laces their hands together, bringing one of Kindaichi’s up to his lips to press a soft kiss to them, noting the cold purple-blueish tinge. Hypothermia might only be a small worry, but frostbite is a prominent threat.

“It’s okay. We won’t be here long. Can’t be much longer now...”

“What if it is…?” The unsure whisper, almost drowned out by a clump of snow falling from the evergreen above, remains unanswered for a moment.

“I don’t know.”

“Oh… I- I wanted… I wanted to be together with everyone for the New Year…” Iwaizumi sighs softly, looking up at the dark sky above.

“I don’t know what time it is. I’m sorry, Yuuta-”

“Don’t say sorry! It’s not your fault! I- I was the idiot who ran out here even though I always get lost, or- or drag others into trouble, and-!” His teeth are gritted together and his hands clench tightly around Iwaizumi’s, shaking, flooded with bad memories of all the times his decisions have gone completely the wrong way. Iwaizumi waits, silently, for him to calm down.

“It’s not your fault either.”

“But-”

“ _Not_ your fault.” Before Kindaichi can say anything else, there’s distant barking. Iwaizumi’s eyes light up as he sits a little straighter, crossing his legs so Kindaichi remains in his lap.

“Dogs! The Mountain Rescue team must be nearby!” Kindaichi grins, shuffling away from Iwaizumi so they can both stand up, scooping snow and dust onto the fire to stop it.

“We’re saved~.” They can clearly see the lights of search team torches, and hear their voices. Iwaizumi shouts back, guiding them in the right direction. As a dog comes over, Iwaizumi crouches down to greet it, making kissy noises and baby talking the spaniel, ruffling its ears and lavishing it with attention.

A little nervous around dogs, Kindaichi stands behind him, but admires how sweet and dorky his boyfriend really is, spoiling the dog rotten until it rolls over and he gives it plenty of belly rubs.

“ _ **IWAIZUMI HAJIME.**_.” Rightfully, the Ace pales and goes silent. It takes him a heartbeat to get over the massive surge of fear.

“Forget saved, we’re going to die.” Storming ahead at the front of the group is none other than one absolutely volcanic Oikawa Tooru, furious beyond belief. Kindaichi shrugs sympathetically.

“He said your name, not mine.”

“... Fuck.” As Kindaichi hides a tiny snort behind his sleeve, Oikawa blazes his way through the snow and blizzard to tackle Iwaizumi roughly enough that they almost fall over. He hisses many threats into his best friends ear, too quiet for Kindaichi to hear as the rescue team wrap him in a thermal blanket and pass him a warm drink. 

He laughs when Iwaizumi gives him an expression of pure fear, begging for help. Oikawa simply narrows his eyes and points at Kindaichi.

“Don’t think you’re getting away with anything. Kunimi-chan is waiting to give you a piece of his mind. Once I’ve finished with you, of course.” Kindaichi gulps, but Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and smacks the back of Oikawa’s head.

“Hassle me for running off all you like, but Yuutarou was only out here because of _your_ stupid game in the first place.” Sheepishly, Oikawa rubs the back of his head and nervously grins.

“Oops?” Iwaizumi smacks him again, gentler, and holds out his hand for Kindaichi, who takes it with a small blush and loving smile. Oikawa sighs, hands on his hips, but even he can’t deny how relieved he was that his friends are okay. They’re safe, they’ve been found, and now, they can get back to Matsukawa’s.

“Well… There’s still a half hour to go, but… Happy New Year, Iwa-Chan, Kindaichi-chan.”

“Happy New Year. And thanks.”

“H-Happy New Year…” 

They get back to the cabin with minutes to spare, and as the clock ticks over to the next year, the whole team - including _Kyoutani_ \- is in one big cuddle pile, Iwaizumi and Kindaichi together in the middle subject to the overwhelming relief of the friends that have become their family. Somehow, turned around in all the sobbing and hugs and coddling, they end up accidentally bumped together face to face, and Iwaizumi takes the advantage to pull Kindaichi down for a kiss as the clock chimes.

It’s a _great_ way to start the new year.

**Author's Note:**

> I love IwaKin... So much...
> 
> Please leave Kudos!!! Please comment!!  
> AND HAPPY NEW YEAR~!!! Here's hoping 2018 brings something happy to all of us!


End file.
